Retractable handle type closure lock



Jan. 2, 1951 A. J. LEONARD, sR

RETRACTABLE HANDLE TYPE CLOSURE LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1948 I mas/e TJ LEON/I20, 51:; v

Mac M Ang e/v.5)

A. J. LEONARD, SR 2,536,295

RETRACTABLE HANDLE TYPE CLOSURE LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 2, 1951 Filed Aug. 2, 1948 Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE RETRACTABLE HANDLE TYPE CLOSURE LOCK 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the art of locks and latches, and more particularly to looks of the type embodying an operating member or handle for the locking element, which is movable from an operating position wherein it is accessible for manipulation to unlock the locking element and hence open the closure with which it is associated, to a non-operating position wherein the handle may be substantially flush with the exterior surface of the closure such as an automobile door, so as to prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the handle to force the lock, as well as to enhance the streamlined appearance of the vehicle and to eliminate dangerous projecting handles.

An object of my invention is to provide a lock of this type which is structurally characterized by means enabling the locking element to be unlocked, or the operating member moved to non-operating position according as a single actuator is moved to respectively different positions, all so that with the lock applied to the door of an automobile, for example, the lock bolt and the retractable outside handle of the door may be selectively operated by a single inside actuator or handle, to respectively retract the bolt and move the outside handle to its non-operating position substantially flush with the exterior surface of the door, whereby to materially simplify the construction as well as the operation of the lock.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lock having the important feature of a single inside actuating handle as above described, whose simple and compact construction enables it to be installed in doors of automobiles of the most modern design, whose door frames are extremely vnarrow to provide for vertically slidable windows of maximum width to attain increased visibility, all while retaining in the lock the essential qualities of durability, freedom from servicing, and simplicity of installation by assembly line production methods.

With these and other objects in view, my invention resides in the combinations, arrangements and functional relationships of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line |-l of Figure 2, and showing one embodiment of my invention applied to an automobile door; 7

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; ,1

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views taken on the lines 3--3, 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view in end elevation, of a latching device for the outside retractable handle; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure '7.-

Referring specifically to the drawings, my invention, for the purpose of illustration, is shown installed in a hollow, sheet metal hinged door D of the type used on automobiles, and having a vertically slidable window indicated in broken lines at W in Figure 2.

My invention comprises a support in the form of a metal plate l0 secured in the door D at the lock stile I I thereof in any suitable manner, with the lock stile having an opening in which works a locking element or bolt l2 having a longitudinal slot l3 receiving headed studs l4 on the plate H] to mount the bolt for reciprocating movement. A spring l5 mounted on the plate I0, engages the bolt I2 to urge same to its projected position for latching engagement with a keeper I! on the jamb l8.

A tubular shaft 20 is provided at one end with a journal flange 2| mounted in an arcuate bearing 22 (Figure 1) secured to the plate H) by screws 23. Secured to the flange 2| by screws 24 is the flange 25 of a journal member 26 received in an opening of the plate l0 to form an additional bearing co-acting with the bearing 22 to rotatably mount the shaft 20 on the plate. The bolt |2 has a lug 30 engaged by an arm 3| on the flange 2| for co-action with the arm under the action of the spring |5 in urging the shaft 20 rotatably to the extreme position shown.

An outside operating member in the form of a lever handle 40, has a long hub 4| telescopically receiving the shaft 20. A pin 44 extends diametrically through longitudinal slots 45 in the shaft and is anchored at its ends in the hub 4| to operatively connect the shaft to the handle 40 for rotation by the latter, yet enable the handle to be moved axially of the shaft to occupy the operating and non-operating positions shown respectively, in full and broken lines in Figure 2.

The hub 4| of the handle 40 has bearing en gagement with a bearing member 46 supported in the bottom wall 41 of a recess 48 formed in the outer wall 49 of the door D and shaped to receive the handle when the latter is moved to its non-operating position so as to be substantially flush with the exterior surface of the door.-

Latch dogs 50 are reciprocably mounted in radial slots 5| in the flange 2| of the shaft 20 (Figure 6) and are urged towards each other to the latching position shown in this figure, by a U-shaped wire Spring 52 mounted between the flanges 2| and 25 and having its free ends seating in notches 54 in the dogs. In the latching position of the dogs 50, their beveled inner ends 55 project: into'the bore of the shaft-"20 so as to be disposed in the path of axial movement? of an annular keeper flange 56 formed on one end of a keeper member 51 which is telescopically received in a tubular releasingmember. 58,,which latter is guided in the bore of'the shaft 20; The:

keeper member 5? is rigidly connected by the pin 44 to the handle 40 for unitary-movement with the latter, and the fiangeili-- of the keeper; member is adapted to co-act' with the beveled surfaces 55 of the dogs 50 in moving the latter again-st the spring 52 sufiiciently for the keeper flar-ige .56 to.- pass the dogs and :belatchedthereto as shown in Figure-5-,: so astoreleasablyretain the handle 40 in its-non-operating positiomshown in this figure.-

The releasing member 58 haslongitudinal. slots 60 through which. the pinv 44 passes so assto permitalimited axial. movement. of the releasing member, relative to the keeper member 51. A shank 62 on the outer endci. the releasing memher. 5& passesthrough a cap'63: on the outer end of. theshaft 2B, andis provided with-2a push buttontd slidablyi mountedin-a-bore 65-.of the hanc1840. A coil springfifi on-.the shank 62 co-acts with the cap 613 and: withthe push button: 64 in urging the releasing member 58 axially-outward to-the projected positionshowninFig-ure.5, and wherein the. button is. accessible for depressing, ma shallow recess 61 in the outer. face of the handle 40;

An inside operatingmember in: the-form of alever handle.- constitutes asingle actuator for selective actuation of thebolt 1-2 and outside han:-- file-40.- Through the engagement-oflug 3fl with; arm 3 I the bolt L2 may also-beretracted by'operation ofthe. handle-.40. The actuator. Hi-is fixedto the outer end of a pin H journaled in a bearing 12 on a .plate 1 3 secured to the innerwall oft'thedoor D.- .in any-. suitable manner. Anarm- M fixed; intermediate its ends -lto the inner end of the pin 1| .andf0ne end.- of the arm-co-actsawith springsi and Hi-on. the platefil3 to-urgethe actuator:

150. touthe-position: designated; A-in Figure; LtWhich;

isrintermedia-te the; two extremepositions of the actuator which. are respectively; designated B- and C inthis figuret 1= ivotally connectedv at- 'l'l to the other. end of the-arm 14 is one end Ora-linkv 18;; the otherend of which latter is pivota-lly connected by apin 19 to a'generaliy U-shapedca-m lever- Bil-pivotally mounted bya pin. 84 onabracket 82 secured to the-plate l 9; The-pivot pin 19+isprovidedwitha. head19a spaced from the lever Bil-to receive the tailend 83 of the bo1t-|2 provided; withathook 84 -with.which.the pin 19 co-acts toretractithe; bolt independently of theoutside handle--40,v in responseto movement-of theactuator 10 from; its intermediate position. A. to. its extreme position B, yetpermit the bolt to be retracted by'thetoutside handle 40% without moving the actuator from its intermediate position.-

Alsopivotally mounted. on the bracket 82' by: means of a pin 85, is-ashitting-member or: yoke lever 86' having rollers 81-workingin-an annular groove 88 in the hub 411 of: theioutside handfe':

40. A spring ail oo-aets withthe: lever 86 to urge 4 the handle 40 axially to its operating position shown in full lines in Figure 2.

The cam lever is provided with a cam 9| having a cam surface 92 which is obliquely disposed with respect to the plane of movement of the lever, for wiping co-action with the beveled surface 93 on the shifting member 86 in moving the latter from the position shown in full lines in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 5, in response to movement ofthe-actuatorlll from its intermediate position A to its other extreme position C, so as to cause the outside handle 40 to bemovedby the. shifting member 86 to its nonoperating position shown in Figure 5.

Upon reaching this position, the handle 40 will be? releasably' retained therein by the automatic latching of the. keeper member 51 by the dogs 50 which snap behind the keeper flange 56. To release thezhandle 40, it is only necessary to depress the push button fi l so as to spread the dogs 50; and free the handle for axial movementto-its operating position by the-spring From the foregoing description, it will be mani festethat the actuators H1 provides-av meansvcoma mon: toboth. the bolt- 12- and the handle 40' by whichselectiveeoperation thereofmay be effected: in response to movementof. the: actuator. to: one positiontor another, and .without-interiering with. actuation of the bolt directly by rotating the handle 40, or movement of the handle axially'toe its non-operating position by exerting manual pressure directly against the--. handle. Further-- more; it. will be-understood: that the term bolt for. the part. l2 ris:,to bebroadly construedin the claims as any locking; elementand whether of." thetranslatory, rotary ton acombination. of these types.

Iclaim:

1. In locking; mechanism for closures a bolt;

an operating member for the-bolt; means mounting: said member'for; rotationand'for movementi axially to: occupy operating and: noneop'eratingit positions; means-. urgingssaid member to operating position"; aniactuatonhieans mountingv said? actuator for: movementv in. opposite directions from an-intermediateposition; means'operatively connectingssaid" operating member to the bolt. to; retract. same in response tozrotaltional movement.

of said: operating: member-g. means operatively connecting said" actuator? tosaid:v bolt to retract;

2; lnt-lock'ng. mechanism; for. closures, a 1atch--= actuating tubular rock shaft having. a. journal at one end; a bearing veta-acting with. saicl'journal and adapted: toamount'saidlrock shaft ina; (310? sure for oscillatorymovement' about a fixed axis;v

an. operating member: having a hub. telescopically receiv'ng: the: other: endi of? saidt' rock shaft, and? adapted to be J'ourn'a'led in. the closure; means cO-actingt with; said rock. shaft and. hub. to operativelyiconnect; them for rotational movement of; the shaft. by the: member, .y'etzrender the lat ter independently movable axially to occupy opt-- erating and-.1 noneoperating positions; means co-acting with said hub to urge theoperatingmember to operating position; latch dogs mounted in said shaft and urged to latching position wherein they project into the bore of the shaft; a keeper member working in said shaft and connected to said operating member for axial movement by the latter into latching engagement with said dogs to latch the operating member in non-operating position; a tubular releasing member receiving said keeper member and guided axially in the bore of said shaft; and means connected to said releasing member and operable from a location at the hub of said operating member to move said dogs to non-latching position so as to free the operatin member for movement by said urging means to operating position.

3. In locking mechanism for closures, a latchactuating tubular rock shaft having a journal at one end; a bearing co-acting with said journal and adapted to mount said rock shaft in a closure for oscillatory movement about a fixed axis; an operat'ng member having a hub telescopically receiving the other end of said rock shaft, and adapted to be journaled in the closure; said shaft having longitudinal slots; a pin supported diametrically in the hub of the operating member and passing through said slots to operatively connect the shaft and member for rotation as a unit, yet rendering the member independently movable axially to occupy operating and non-opcrating positions; means urging the operating member to operating position; latching means including a keeper member in said shaft, through which said pin passes to connect the keeper member to the operating member for axial movement by the latter to latch the operating member in non-operating position; and means operable from a location at the hub of said operating member and including a releasing member receiving said keeper member and freely passing said pin, by which the operating member can be released from the latching means for movement by said urging means to non-latching position.

4. In locking mechanism for closures, a latchactuating tubular rock shaft having a journal at one end; a bearing co-acting with said journal and adapted to mount said rock shaft in a closure for oscillatory movement about a fixed axis; an operating member having a hub telescopically receiving the other end of said rock shaft, and adapted to be journaled in the closure; said shaft having longitudinal slots; a pin supported diametrically in the hub of the operating member and passing through said slots to operatively connect the shaft and member for rotation as a unit, yet render the member independently movable axially to occupy operating and non-operating posit'ons; means urging the operating member to operating position; latch dogs mounted in said shaft and urged to latching position wherein they project into the bore of said shaft; a keeper member in said shaft, through which said pin passes to connect the keeper member to the operating member for axial movement by the latter into latchin engagement with said dogs so as to releasably retain the operating member in non-operating position; a push button mounted in said hub for movement axially thereof; and a tubular releasing member connected to said push button and receiving said keeper member; said releasing member being guided in said shaft and having longitud'nal slots through which said pin passes to render the releasing member free for axial movement relative to the keeper member in response to depression of said button, so as to enable the releasing member to move said dogs clear of the keeper member and free the operatin member for movement by said urging means to operating posit'on.

ALBERT J. LEONARD, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,145,998 Sonnhalter Feb. 7, 1939 2,176,969 Johns Oct. 24, 1939 2,177,672 Schoch Oct. 31, 1939 

